St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-07-15
After Squandering His nl-Gotten Gains
on an American Ad-
Venturess.
The Story Of the Long Chase Forms
Miraculous Record of Detective
Work.
Filled With Champagne, the Woman Un-
Willingly Tells Of His Where
ab0uts.
Witnesses Of a Kentucky Tragedy Found
in Wisc0nsin---0ther
Crimes.

CHICAGO, July 14.-Private informa-
ton was received here tonight that to-
day in Kansas City William III. W.
Markham, assistant paymaster of the
British war vessel EspOir, was arrested
on charge of forging the name of his
superior officer for amounts aggregating
about $4,000. The crimes were COM
mitted over year ago, when the Espoir
was cruising off the coast of China. For
some time past Markham, under
the name of GaylOr, has been
acting as agent at Kansas City for a
well known insurance company. He
has been constantly shadowed night and
day since June 13, until this morning,
the detectives being unwilling to arrest
him until extradition papers and all
other preliminarieS had been first az
ranged. Though the. culprit'S where
abOutS have been known only since
June Is, the detectives have unceaS-
inly
BEEN TRACING HIM UP
step by step. Ever since the fOrgerieS
were discovered in the spring of 1886
the story of the long chase forms mar
velous record. Markham lett his ship
ostensibly for vacation, and all clue to
him had been lost before his misdeeds
came to light, and the case was formally
handed over to the Scotland Yard de-
tectiveS in London. Meantime Mark
ham was in Shanghai, where he was
spending money with prodigality
worthy of an East India rajah. 1t was
in Shanghai that he fell in with an
AMERICAN ADVENTURES
named Gussie Bland, who had just az
NJ from Con ErnnnicoO
Mrs. De Forrest. Upon her Markham
lavished nearly every thing he had, and
when soon after he became aware that
officers were searching him out, he had
barely enough funds to bring himself to
San Francisco. So nervous was he on
the way over that he attracted
the attention of San Francisco
officer, who was on another errand.
Had the San Francisco authorities been
notified Markham could easily have
been arrested then, as he was kept
steadily in view for several days. But
no charge being known against him he
was allowed to depart GuSSie Bland
returned to California on almost the
next steamer after Markham. She
went to Los Angeles. but when
the British officials had finally located
her they learned that no one answering
Markham's description had ever been
near her. Nevertheless her house was
watched, month after month, till by ac-
cident one day detective noticed the
address of a letter mailed to one of the
woman'S intimateS at a saloon near by.
The handwriting seemed familiar, and
comparison with the photograph of
signature in San Francisco hotel regis
ter showed the writer to be Markham.
Close observation established the fact
that Markham sent frequent letters at
the general delivery III some distant
city: officers in disguise thereupon in
veigled themselves into Mrs. DefOreSt'S
graces, and one night when
CHAMPAGNE LOOSENED HER TONGE
got her talking of the mysterious CORE
Spondent. She ridiculed him mercilessly
as soft EngliShman who had thrown
away fortune on her and was still as
infatuated as ever, incidentally drop
ping the fact that he was at Kansas
City. Immediately arrangement was
made by the detectives whereby the
clerk at the pOstotfice window at Kansas
City was to drop a pencil outside
the center as a signal when Markham
asked for his wall. So confused did the
clerk become that twice he failed and
Markham escaped. The third time the
detective was given
THE SIGNAL.
Markham was intensely suspicious
and had acquired the habit of starting
in the opposite direction from which he
intended to go and then suddenly
turning, taking street cars going
the wrong way and jumping
off to take the one he wanted, all the
time watching to see if he was pursued.
In spite of these tactics he was shad
owed constantly until to-day. When
all was ready the arrest was made, and
of penal SerYitude.